International Film Festival Rotterdam 2025 Reviews and Interviews

As we mentioned many times before, Rotterdam is the best international festival in Europe in terms of Asian selection, and the programmers did not disappoint once more. Even more so since the selection stays, thankfully, away from the stereotypes about what an Asian film is or it should be. Furthermore, the focus in S/SE Asia was definitely once more rewarding, with the emphasis in Indonesia obviously being indicative of how close IFFR is following what is happening in the region. The presence of the likes of Miike and Toyoda, along with the ‘film of the year’ “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” covered the Far East.

Here is the sum of our articles for IFFR 2025.

1. Film Review: Kajolrekha (2024) by Giasuddin Selim

Though highly watchable, the movie ultimately lacks the social realism or revolutionary edge that might make for an interesting contemporary adaptation of this ancient tale. Instead, the director has made a comfortable, feel-good movie with a moralising aftertaste: women should know their place in society and not challenge their fate – then they get to marry their prince. (Isabel Jacobs)

2. Film Review: Lilim (2025) by Mikhail Red

Heaven Peralejo in the role of Issa is quite convincing in her effort to save her brother and survive in an increasingly hostile environment, while the way her deeds affect her is also well presented. At the same time, her presence as another mainstream actress of Filipino cinema becoming a girl-with-a-gun definitely adds to the aesthetics of the film. Skywalker David as Tomas is also quite good in the role of the traumatized, bullied kid, while the whole cast of young boys act particularly well. The ones who still the show however, are definitely Dwayne James Bialoglovski as the main bully, who presents a truly sinister performance with gusto, and Ryza Cenon (with a shaved head) in the role of the main villain, who emits authority and fear with every move and every word. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

3. Video Interviews: Mikhail Red and Heaven Peralejo

4. Film Review: The Good Loan Sharks (2024) by Afdlin Shauki and Aizam Syamsul Aksan

If the musical interludes may disturb the purists of the Jozan show, the film however excels when it adopts a more caustic tone, addressing sensitive social issues within modern Malaysian society. The narrative unfolds in a way that keeps the audience engaged, with numerous references to real-life situations (this hilarious cheap lion dance ceremony) and private jokes (the publicized Chew Kin Wah’s conversion to Islam, the cameo by Sangeeta Krishnasamy, the famous Tamil film actress-turned-model struggling to repay her debt for her agency). The mere concept of two Malay kids with a Chinese father is provocative enough in a society that, while officially multicultural, remains somewhat segregated. (Jean Claude)

5. Film Review: I Dreamed A Dream (2025) by Wei Shujun

“I Dreamed A Dream” looks like being sponsored by Coppertone in its prime, the pale pastels, Hawaii shirts, and striped beach chairs included. It’s incredible that behind those cheerful, clear shots is the same cinematographer (Chengma Zhiyuan) as in “Only The River Flows”. It’s a funny, daring movie with good music choices (there is some good stuff one can discover in it!) and a bonkers costume design. (Marina D. Richter)

6. Film Review: Bomba Bernal (2025) by Khavn

As with most of Khavn‘s work, “Bomba Bernal” is far from a film for everyone. However, for those willing to challenge their preconceptions of what a documentary, or a film, in general, can be, and who are unafraid of a little (or a lot of) provocation, there is plenty to appreciate, in a movie that is as thought-provoking as it is wildly entertaining. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

7. Film Review: Morichika (2025) by Ishaan Ghose

Ghose’s cinematography combines impression (in the music-video like sequences) with documentary-like realism (in the plethora of scenes in the streets of the city) in an approach that works quite nicely for the movie. His own editing results in a mid-tempo that fits the narrative, although some lagging and some scenes solely aiming at impression do appear here and there. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

8. Film Review: Yasuko, Songs of Days Past (2025) by Kichitaro Negishi

The film beautifully captures the era through its elegant style, with stunning cinematography by Gima Shingo and meticulous production design by Harada Mitsuo and Sagae Yoko. As the love triangle intensifies, Negishi skillfully portrays the emotional turmoil through restrained performances by the renowned Suzu Hirose as Yasuko Hasegawa and Masaki Okada as Hideo Kobayashi, as well as the upcoming actor Taisei Kido as Chuya Nakahara. Their performances are a bit hammy but fit the theatrical sentiment of the film. (Alexander Knoth)

9. Film Review: Possession Street (2024) by Jack Lai

Overall, “Possession Street” was quite an impressive film. The story by writers Joey O’Bryan, Shum Kwan Sin, and Poon Ho Fai is a great feat, giving this one a fun grounding point. The use of Taoist teachings to explain the backstory haunting of the mall’s location as the site of a bombing raid during the war and the spirits of those who died there in the disharmony that could threaten the living, are all brought together finely. The idea of appeasing their spirits and promoting harmony in their world and ours is a great way to bridge the gap to their eventual release later on. With a secondary storyline involving Sam trying to do what he can to keep it afloat while raising Yan who has just returned home to reconnect, this comes about during the first signs of supernatural activity present which do not help their struggling relationship. By providing a great central emotionally-charged relationship at the core of a spirited zombie feature, the setup has a lot to like about it. (Don Anelli)

10. Short Film Review: Baozhda (2024) by Keran Abukasimu

Hasitieer as Keran and Jiayina Wuzhati highlight their differences and their chemistry in the most convincing fashion, with the way they both communicate their discomfort during the dinner scene being the highlight of their performance, as much as the one where Keran is clowning and his cousin is laughing. “Baozhda” is an excellent film, rather well shot and contextually rich, and an overall lesson in how short filmmaking should be. Keran Abukasimu is definitely one filmmaker we will be watching in the future. (Panos Kotzathanasis)